It's been a long time since your debut. How has your attitude changed since you first began making music?
It indeed has been quite a long time (laughs). I'll be honest with you; I never exactly wanted to be a singer when I first started making music. I saw myself as __more of a music director and I wanted to create a platform for young and talented singers of the country with “Hridoy Mix”. I sang “Chaina Meye” out of pure experimentation and fun, but that went on to be the most hit song of that album by far. I will say that as time went on, the sound that I was associated with kept changing. “Hridoy Mix” consisted of many funky 'bhangra'-style tracks whereas in my first solo album, “Bolna”, I concentrated on __more romantic ones. You could say that I tend to experiment a lot.
How were you inspired to take music as a profession?
I was lucky enough to be brought up in a musical family. As you probably know, my father is a well known and respected music composer. My inspiration basically came in the form of tinkering and trying out different instruments. As time went on, I started to become fascinated with the art of playing and recording music. I started out playing the tabla, which was inspired by my grandfather Moinul Islam Khan who was an Ustaad.
Who were your favorite artists while growing up?
I tend to listen to all kinds of music. Interestingly, I was a huge rock and metal fan and still am to some extent. I listened to a lot of Guns N' Roses and Iron Maiden while growing up. My current favorite song is “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perry.
Tell us about the stories behind some of your famous songs. Did you make any songs that you didn't think would do well, but did?
Every song has a story behind it, actually. About unexpected success, “Bolna” was that song for me. Many don't know it, but I was supposed to release it in “Hridoy Mix”. I didn't release it then because I felt that it doesn't go with the theme of that particular album. I had sung “Bolna” as a rough draft and sent it as a teaser for my upcoming solo album. However, it got so famous that I never really had a chance to do it in a 'proper' way and later released it as it was in the album!
Platforms are shifting in today's music industry. People are less inclined to buy physical music albums. How do you think it has affected you?
There will always be a change in trends, and I personally welcome it. I think it gives more chances to upcoming talented musicians in the country. I myself have published many songs online. All I can say is, it's a lot easier for a musician to enter the industry now than it was when I started my journey.
What are your current projects?
I have a lot on my hand at the moment. I am working on my next solo album which will be called “Meye”. I am working really hard to make sure that this sounds and feels more different than my previous albums. I am also doing an acoustic album, where I will re-release some of my well known songs in a bare-bones acoustic version. Other than that, I will soon start work on “Hridoy Mix 4”, and in that album I will be giving opportunities to new and upcoming singers of the country to make themselves known. However, I haven't decided on the medium by which I could connect to the potential singers. I will soon let everyone know about the procedure.
You have always been a fan-favorite among girls. Would you like to send a message to your female fans? Are you available?
(Laughs) All I would say is, I am always available for my fans. My Facebook page is verified and I try to be as responsive as possible. They are the reason behind my success and I would like to give back to them in the form of good music. I would like to thank all the fans, male and female, for the constant support as it means a lot to me.
By Sadi Mohammad Shahnewaz